Robin Roberts Ditches Her Wig

Robin Roberts bravely debuted her new natural look on "GMA" today.

ByABC News via logo
April 21, 2008, 10:40 AM

April 21, 2008— -- "I've worn the wig to cling to the past ... but now it's time to accept and embrace who I am now," Robin Roberts declared today.

After she was diagnosed with breast cancer and started chemotherapy last fall, the "Good Morning America" anchor shaved her head and donned a wig to look like her old self on the show each morning.

Thanks in large part to overwhelming support from viewers, Roberts says she's now ready to brave her bare head. She debuted her new natural look live on-air today.

The decision on what to do about the loss of hair is a very personal one. Roberts said she made the decision to shave her head as "a way to take control after so much had changed in [her] life."

Hundreds of viewers had shared their own stories with Roberts and told her this time would come.

"Like you, I wasn't ready to shave my head, but after two days of shedding, I was ready," Marilynn Bernhard of Michigan wrote. "I didn't even shed a tear. I'm most comfortable 'naturale.' The wig is for other people's comfort, not mine."

For the past six months, Roberts has worn the wig on TV because she said she never wanted her outward appearance to distract from the news stories of the day.

Roberts quoted the words of one of her favorite songs, "I Am Not My Hair," by India.Arie: "I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within."

Now that she no longer needs the wig, Roberts plans to auction it off for charity. Keep checking back with ABCNEWS.com to get the latest details on the auction.